Method of manufacturing briquettes



Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNETEE STATES PATENT OFFIQE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BRIQUETTES Henry H. Moreton, Santa Monica, Calif.

1 Claim.

This invention is a method of manufacturing combustible briquettes from coal dust, oil refinery coke, or other similar waste combustible materials.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce combustible briquettes of waste carbonaceou material which will possess approximately smokeless free burning qualities. A further object is to provide a method. of incorporating with the combustible ingredients a binder which is held in suspension by a smoke-controlling ingredient.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In carrying out the invention, a colloidal silicate earth, such for instance as magnesium silicate is first reduced to a jelly by adding water thereto. After the jelly-like consistency is obtained the same is then mixed with an emulsionlike binder consisting of liquid tar and water, together with a very small amount of an acid, such as acetic acid. The tar is preferably heated and added to the water While hot.

The colloidal magnesium silicate above referred to is a material recently discovered in the desert regions of the United States, and its character is such that when first discovered it baflled identification. It has since been satisfactorily determined that it is a colloidal magnesium silicate which analyzes substantially as follows, the proportions being in percentages:

Percent 47. 40

Silica Alumina Ferric oxide Calcium oxide Magnesia Soda and potash Sulphur trioxide Water at 105 C Undetermined organic matter indicated by loss on ignition Total 100. 00

In the example above given, the capability of absorbing water means that the bulk of the original material may be increased by approximately by the addition of water.

The binder emulsion obtained by the mixture 5 of the ingredients above described, while held in suspension by the colloidal silicate, is then mixed with the coal or coke dust, or other waste carbonaceous material in any well known or desired manner, and is then molded into briquettes by 10 any suitable mechanism.

During combustion of the briquettes the magnesium silicate acts as a smoke control, i. e. to insure approximately complete smokeless combustion, and the water and tar binder emulsion 15 held in suspension by the colloidal jelly-like mass of silicate is the binder, so that the briquettes are caused to maintain their cohesion until completely consumed, the combustion being free and approximately without smoke.

The advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it belongs. For instance, it will be particularly observed that a very simple and inexpensive briquette may be manufactured, which because of 5 the cohesion of the parts during combustion as Well as the smokeless character of the combustion, is particularly adapted for special uses, such for instance with orchard heaters.

Having thus explained the nature of the in- 30 Vention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is:-

The method of manufacturing solid combustible briquettes comprising providing a semiemulsion binder consisting of liquid tar, water and acetic acid, suspending said binder by means of a colloidal magnesium silicate which has been 40 reduced to a jelly-like mass by the addition of water thereto, mixing finely divided fuel material with the colloidal magnesium silicate and the semi-emulsion binder while the binder is so suspended, and then molding the mass into solid 45 briquettes.

HENRY H. MORETON. 

